The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship
In this work, we investigate how the central stellar metallicity ([Z/H]) of 1363 galaxies from the SAMI galaxy survey is related to their stellar mass and a proxy for the gravitational potential, Phi = log(10)(M-*/M-circle dot)-log(10)(r(e)/kpc) . In agreement with previous studies, we find that pas...
Published in: | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
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Oxford University Press (OUP)
2022
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/469143 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 |
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ftswinburne:tle:9535fcff-9d97-4bec-9fd8-f1a9065a42a1:28f49f06-0da8-44be-9edc-ad1dd0a9c582:1 |
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ftswinburne:tle:9535fcff-9d97-4bec-9fd8-f1a9065a42a1:28f49f06-0da8-44be-9edc-ad1dd0a9c582:1 2023-05-15T18:11:51+02:00 The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship Vaughan, Sam P. Barone, Tania M. Croom, Scott M. Cortese, Luca D'Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M. van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J. Lawrence, J. S. López-Sánchez, Ángel R. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. Swinburne University of Technology 2022 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/469143 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 unknown Oxford University Press (OUP) http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/469143 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 Copyright © 2022 Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 516, no. 2 (Sep 2022), pp. 2971-2987 Journal article 2022 ftswinburne https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 2022-10-24T22:26:28Z In this work, we investigate how the central stellar metallicity ([Z/H]) of 1363 galaxies from the SAMI galaxy survey is related to their stellar mass and a proxy for the gravitational potential, Phi = log(10)(M-*/M-circle dot)-log(10)(r(e)/kpc) . In agreement with previous studies, we find that passive and star-forming galaxies occupy different areas of the [Z/H]-M-* plane, with passive galaxies having higher [Z/H] than star-forming galaxies at fixed mass (a difference of 0.23 dex at log(10)(M-*/M-circle dot) = 10.3). We show for the first time that all galaxies lie on the same relation between [Z/H] and Phi, and show that the offset in [Z/H] between passive and star-forming galaxies at fixed Phi is smaller than or equal to the offset in [Z/H] at fixed mass (an average Delta[Z/H] of 0.11 dex at fixed Phi compared to 0.21 dex at fixed mass). We then build a simple model of galaxy evolution to explain and understand our results. By assuming that [Z/H] traces Phi over cosmic time and that the probability that a galaxy quenches depends on both its mass and size, we are able to reproduce these offsets in stellar metallicity with a model containing instantaneous quenching. We therefore conclude that an offset in metallicity at fixed mass cannot by itself be used as evidence of slow quenching processes, in contrast to previous studies. Instead, our model implies that metal-rich galaxies have always been the smallest objects for their mass in a population. Our findings reiterate the need to consider galaxy size when studying stellar populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper sami Swinburne University of Technology: Swinburne Research Bank Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 516 2 2971 2987 |
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Swinburne University of Technology: Swinburne Research Bank |
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ftswinburne |
language |
unknown |
description |
In this work, we investigate how the central stellar metallicity ([Z/H]) of 1363 galaxies from the SAMI galaxy survey is related to their stellar mass and a proxy for the gravitational potential, Phi = log(10)(M-*/M-circle dot)-log(10)(r(e)/kpc) . In agreement with previous studies, we find that passive and star-forming galaxies occupy different areas of the [Z/H]-M-* plane, with passive galaxies having higher [Z/H] than star-forming galaxies at fixed mass (a difference of 0.23 dex at log(10)(M-*/M-circle dot) = 10.3). We show for the first time that all galaxies lie on the same relation between [Z/H] and Phi, and show that the offset in [Z/H] between passive and star-forming galaxies at fixed Phi is smaller than or equal to the offset in [Z/H] at fixed mass (an average Delta[Z/H] of 0.11 dex at fixed Phi compared to 0.21 dex at fixed mass). We then build a simple model of galaxy evolution to explain and understand our results. By assuming that [Z/H] traces Phi over cosmic time and that the probability that a galaxy quenches depends on both its mass and size, we are able to reproduce these offsets in stellar metallicity with a model containing instantaneous quenching. We therefore conclude that an offset in metallicity at fixed mass cannot by itself be used as evidence of slow quenching processes, in contrast to previous studies. Instead, our model implies that metal-rich galaxies have always been the smallest objects for their mass in a population. Our findings reiterate the need to consider galaxy size when studying stellar populations. |
author2 |
Swinburne University of Technology |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vaughan, Sam P. Barone, Tania M. Croom, Scott M. Cortese, Luca D'Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M. van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J. Lawrence, J. S. López-Sánchez, Ángel R. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. |
spellingShingle |
Vaughan, Sam P. Barone, Tania M. Croom, Scott M. Cortese, Luca D'Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M. van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J. Lawrence, J. S. López-Sánchez, Ángel R. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
author_facet |
Vaughan, Sam P. Barone, Tania M. Croom, Scott M. Cortese, Luca D'Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M. van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J. Lawrence, J. S. López-Sánchez, Ángel R. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. |
author_sort |
Vaughan, Sam P. |
title |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_short |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_full |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_fullStr |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_full_unstemmed |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_sort |
sami galaxy survey: galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/469143 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 |
genre |
sami |
genre_facet |
sami |
op_source |
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 516, no. 2 (Sep 2022), pp. 2971-2987 |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/469143 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 |
op_rights |
Copyright © 2022 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 |
container_title |
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
container_volume |
516 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
2971 |
op_container_end_page |
2987 |
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1766184468754726912 |